MLB Player News
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Thomas Harrington P | PIT
Pirates' Thomas Harrington: Looks healthy for spring
Harrington (groin) tossed a bullpen session Sunday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Harrington didn't pitch after Aug. 28 last season after aggravating a right groin injury, but the 24-year-old righty had a healthy offseason and is good to go for spring training. He reached the majors for the first time in 2025 but labored over his three appearances (one start) for the Pirates, giving up 15 earned runs on 18 hits and seven walks across 8.2 innings. Harrington will compete for an Opening Day rotation spot in spring training, but he's likely to begin the season at Triple-A Indianapolis.
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Gunnar Henderson 3B | BAL
Orioles' Gunnar Henderson: Back at camp Sunday
Henderson (personal) rejoined the Orioles at camp Sunday and was spotted participating in infield work, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Henderson missed three days of workouts while attending to a personal matter, but the brief absence shouldn't affect his readiness for the start of the season. The 24-year-old shortstop is scheduled to leave camp again later this month to join Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.
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Josh H. Smith SS | TEX
Rangers' Josh Smith: Preparing to play second base
Smith confirmed Sunday that he's preparing to mainly play second base in 2026 following the trade of Marcus Semien, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
Smith finished second on the Rangers with 563 plate appearances a season ago, but he didn't have a permanent home at any one position. The super-utility player instead filled in as injuries dictated, logging 46 starts at shortstop, 28 at third base, 23 at first base, 14 in the outfield, 10 at designated hitter and three at second base. He'll carry eligibility at shortstop, third base and first base in most fantasy leagues heading into 2026, and he should also be usable for at keystone quickly if manager Skip Schumaker commits to him as the club's primary second baseman. The Rangers could look to deploy the left-handed-hitting Smith on the strong side of a platoon, as slashed just .206/.277/.224 (47 wRC+) in 121 plate appearances against southpaws last season.
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Colt Keith 3B | DET
Tigers' Colt Keith: Focusing on corner infield
Tigers manager AJ Hinch said Sunday that Keith will focus on playing third base and first base during spring training and will only return to second base if Detroit has injuries there, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
The 24-year-old played both the keystone and the hot corner in the minors, and second base is where he spent almost all of his time as a rookie in 2024. Keith moved around more last season, playing 18 games at first base, 26 at second and 37 at third while posting a .746 OPS over 137 regular-season games. He's expected to begin 2026 as Detroit's primary third baseman, but his playing time could be impacted by the eventual arrival of top prospect Kevin McGonigle.
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Hunter Dobbins SP | STL
Cardinals' Hunter Dobbins: Will go through normal PFP Monday
Dobbins (knee) is slated to go through a normal pitchers' fielding practice Monday, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
The right-hander is being eased into full baseball activities following last July's right ACL surgery. He went through limited fielding practice Saturday and will increase his running and defensive work during the upcoming week. Dobbins does not appear to be in any danger of missing Opening Day, but being brought along slowly in spring training likely takes him out of the running for a spot in the Cardinals' initial rotation plans.
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Jurrangelo Cijntje SP | STL
Cardinals' Jurrangelo Cijntje: Focusing on throwing right-handed
Cijntje will throw only right-handed in spring training games and live batting practice sessions while he's in big-league camp, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
The switch pitcher did some warm-up throws left-handed during a live batting practice session Friday, and he will continue to develop both arms. However, while with the major-league club, Cijntje's focus will be on throwing from the right side. The 22-year-old's ceiling as a pitching prospect is much higher from the right side and there's a good chance he will eventually throw solely with that arm. Cijntje was acquired from the Mariners earlier this month in the Brendan Donovan trade.
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Kodai Senga SP | NYM
Mets' Kodai Senga: Looking good early in camp
Senga appears to be further ahead of other Mets pitchers in camp and has already been hitting 92 mph with his fastball, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Having Senga healthy and effective would be a huge boost to the rotation, but the 33-year-old right-hander has a lot to prove in 2026. He began last season with a brilliant 1.47 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 70:31 K:BB through his first 13 starts and 73.2 innings, but after landing on the IL due to a hamstring injury in mid-June, Senga couldn't put things back together. He posted a 5.90 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and 39:24 K:BB over his final nine outings and 39.2 innings after being activated from the IL before spending September trying to correct his mechanics at Triple-A Syracuse even with the Mets trying to make a playoff push. If Senga can rediscover his early 2025 form, or his form from 2023, he would give New York a true top-of-the-rotation presence alongside Freddy Peralta.
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Pete Hansen SP | STL
Cardinals' Pete Hansen: Slowed by shoulder soreness
Hansen is being eased into a throwing program during spring training due to left shoulder soreness that he first developed a few weeks ago, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Hansen doesn't have structural damage in the shoulder, but he'll be brought along slowly in camp until he feels fully healthy. The southpaw made 26 starts for Double-A Springfield in 2025, finishing with a 3.93 ERA and 123:37 K:BB over 137.1 innings. Once healthy, Hansen could move up to Triple-A Memphis for the upcoming season.
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Corbin Burnes SP | ARI
Diamondbacks' Corbin Burnes: Heading to 60-day IL
The Diamondbacks placed Burnes (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday.
The move was merely procedural, as Burnes is targeting a season debut around the All-Star break while he completes his recovery from Tommy John surgery. The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Zac Gallen, who re-signed with Arizona on a one-year deal.
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Tink Hence P | STL
Cardinals' Tink Hence: Will remain starter for now
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Saturday that moving Hence to a relief role is not something that has been "truly discussed at the moment," Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
President of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said in December that the team had engaged in internal conversations about whether a move to the bullpen would be best for Hence's long-term health. However, the Cardinals have opted to keep the righty stretched out for now. Hence was limited to just eight appearances in 2025 due to a lat strain and shoulder impingement, and he has yet to reach 100 innings in a pro season because of durability issues. He worked on mechanical changes this offseason and also incorporated a new stretching and recovery plan, and the 23-year-old entered spring training healthy. Hence is on the 40-man roster but has yet to advance past Double-A Springfield, and he could return to Springfield to begin the 2026 campaign.